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That remarkably foolish decision that sports no logical end game was made earlier this week by head coach Ben McAdoo and was met with surprise and fury around the country. From politicians to Hollywood elite, and from former teammates to current players, the hot takes were plentiful. Precious few of them in support of McAdoo and the Giants.

For the Cowboys, they’ll happily accept Manning riding the pine when they square off at MetLife Stadium, but that didn’t stop team owner Jerry Jones from praising his long-time division rival.

“I have all the respect in the world for Eli. I think they’re the first family of football, the Mannings,” Jones said via the Dallas News. “Certainly I know them, know Peyton as well as Eli, but I can speak to Eli the best because he’s played us the most.”

Jones even referred back to Manning’s autograph in the visiting locker-room, which was signed following the first ever game AT&T Stadium — a 33-31 Giants victory.

“I know that I have his autograph in the visiting locker room. The first game that was played here we played the Giants and we lost it, but we were blessed with Eli’s signature on the locker. And I’m proud of it, and I wouldn’t take anything for it,” Jones said.

“As a matter of fact, we’ll probably have a monument down there. No, I really wouldn’t take anything for it. I’ve told them, ‘They better not do anything to that signature.’ I like it there. I really like it there. He was proud of it, and you’ve got to know [Manning’s father] Archie and you have to know those guys to know it was a gesture of love.”

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Jones and Eli’s father, Archie, have been long-time friends and acquaintances. Through him, and because of their twice-yearly NFC East battles, Jones has come to know Eli the person as well as Eli the player. And like so many others, he felt the two-time Super Bowl MVP was done wrong in New York.

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